REVIEW: 'Into the Woods - Musical's fairy tale characters are fun, hilarious'
Modesto Bee--By Lisa Millegan Renner
MURPHYS -- You couldn't find a better setting to watch Stephen Sondheim's hilarious musical "Into the Woods" than the venue used by Murphys Creek Theatre
Audience members sit outdoors under the stars in the stunning tree-ringed amphitheater at Albeno Munari Vineyard and Winery (formerly Stevenot).
Director Graham Scott Green's large cast had Friday's opening-night audience laughing nonstop at the show's clever humor and tapping their toes to the catchy songs. The musical is exceptionally well-written and won Tony Awards for best book (James LaPine) and best score (Sondheim) in 1988.
Although some of the singers struggled with staying in tune and keeping in time with the recorded accompaniment, their performances were more entertaining than what's seen in many of the region's theater productions.
"Into the Woods" blends several fairy tales, including "Little Red Riding Hood," "Rapunzel," "Jack and the Beanstalk" and "Cinderella." In the first act, each character pursues a wish. In the second act, we find out what happens when they get their wishes.
Characters fall in and out of love, magic spells are cast, and giants go on the attack. Parents struggle to understand their children, and families wonder if they should follow their dreams or help the community.
The single mountainlike set, designed by Green and Misty Day, easily accommodates all the scenes, from Rapunzel's tower to Cinderella's cottage.
Green also has fun as the Narrator, who pops in from time to time to comment on the action, and as the Mysterious Man, who offers the characters advice. Day is equally sweet and lovely as the much-abused Cinderella.
Michael Critch makes Cinderella's father a humorous drunk, and Lauren Dyken, Lauren Robinson and Jessie Scales are appropriately obnoxious as the evil stepmother and stepsisters.
The standout in the cast is Vickie Hall as the smart and ambitious Baker's Wife. Her voice and timing is first- rate, and her good-hearted scheming is amusing to watch. Clocky McDowell goes through the biggest transformation as the Baker, starting out shy and unsure and ending as a confident leader.
Mitzi Nelson is delightfully wicked as the Witch and nails her comic rap about destruction to her garden.
Her daughter Madison Riley Nelson, who is only 11, is hilarious as Little Red Riding Hood, an innocent young girl who learns self-defense and starts carrying a knife. Grant Vaughn Davis, who is 13, has some of the funniest scenes as Jack of "Jack and the Beanstalk" and gets big laughs with his ditzy expressions, confused demeanor and inexplicable love for his cow. Martha Omiyo Kight is brave as Jack's mother, but Carley Neill gets little to do as Rapunzel.
Thomas Smith and Robert Vann, who play the pampered princes, are comically distraught in the best song of the show, "Agony." Smith also shines in his other role as the salacious Wolf.
Costume designers Alexis Cienfuegos and Carolyn Collins find colorful fairy tale garb for each of the characters, including a seductive suit for the Wolf and wolf-skin cape worn by Little Red Riding Hood.
If you go, don't forget to bring a jacket or a blanket. Temperatures get quite chilly after the sun goes down.
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REVIEW: 'Murphys Creek Theater Into the Woods an Amazing Adventure'
Pinetree.net--By Charity Maness
Murphys, CA....How do you combine Cinderella, Red Riding Hood, Rapunzel, Jack and the Bean Stalk, and more? If you are Murphys Creek Theater, very cleverly, that’s how. The adult version of these classic fairytales intertwine together to create a clever presentation of musical, theatrical, and comical entertainment that keeps the audience enraptured and in laughs. ....
Set in the woods in the Cornelia B. Stevenot Amphitheater on grounds of the Albeno Munari Winery in Murphy’s, the setting could not be more intimate, more personal, and more rewarding of an experience. Into the Woods combines a comedic flair with musical numbers, filled with innuendos and quick witted lyrics. Utilizing incredible acting talent, the cast takes you to a mystical place within the woods where a prince hunts a damsel, a wolf hunts a girl, a baker hunts a white cow, and a witch casts spells. Let’s not forget the evil step sisters and the wicked step mother, but I don’t want to give too much away.
Though rated PG the play is definitely a must see for the family in search of something different, something fun, and something magical. Chairs available for use or bring your blanket, but most importantly, bring your sense of humor.
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REVIEW: ‘Midsummer Night's Dream is Outdoor Treat"
Union Democrat--By Patricia Harrelson
High-spirited is the perfect descriptor for “A Midsummer Night’s
Dream,” currently under production by Murphys Creek Theater. Stage in
the ideal setting—a grassy amphitheater tucked into a pine forest at
the Albeno Munari Winery (formerly Stevenot)—the timely and timeless
400-year-old comedy elicited gales of laughter from the opening night
crowd clustered around the outdoor stage.
Director Misty Day has drawn upon the history and character of the region to give the production a large dose of Western flair.
To begin with, she and artistic director Graham Scott Green have
created a wry set for Shakespeare’s interwoven story lines—the romantic
jousting of four young lovers, the dueling of two fairy rulers, and the
antics of a bunch of working folk practicing for a play within the play.
Red rock cliffs serve as the outback home for scampering fairies and
the backdrop for a collection of earthy Athenians—cowboys, dance hall
girls, and bustled or top-hatted gentle folk. Throw in three bark
teepees, a saloon, a bale of hay, and a few tree rounds for sitting and
you have a set that merges the Mother Lode with the happy, sometimes
ethereal, comedy.
If you doubt that a welcoming set will be enough to entice you to take
a taste of Shakespeare, do not fear! This talented cast makes every
work—every syllable—comprehensible, not to mention hilarious, with big
faces and meaningful gesture.
Take the central players, Theseus-Oberon, played by Sean M. Lewis and
Hippolyta-Titania, played by Allison Blackwell. Whether parading as
imperious lovers or feuding in exotic personage of wood spirits, Lewis
and Blackwell each manifest a commanding presence.
Lewis uses his elegant body to communicate a myriad of emotion and
suggestion while Blackwell’s animated face could speak reams without
saying nary a word. Both, of course, are also spot-on delivering
Shakespearian iambic pentameter.
Several actors infuse their lyrical lines with a good bit of Western
twang. Tom Vannucci, as Egeus, father to Hermia, twangs away to great
effect. No stranger to comedic roles, Vannucci also sustains an amusing
regional inflection as one of the mechanicals, Robin Starveling the
tailor, ably assisted by a coonskin cap.
But accent, costume and posturing come together most notably in John
Gallagher’s portrayal of Nick Bottom, the weaver. The one character to
cross over between the human and the fairy worlds, Bottom decides he
has had a “most rare vision.” In fact, “the eye of the man hath not
heard, the ear of the man hath not seen…” such a rare vision as
Gallagher’s Bottom.
Achingly funny, touched by the spirit of vaudeville, Gallagher’s
performance is comic genius that doesn’t steal the show but instead
seals it.
Also toying with scene stealing is the eye-catching Brooke Lawrence as
Puck. Costumed in feathers and leotard, she leaps, cartwheels, and
stretches in graceful lunges as the shape-shifting, mischievous
Hobgoblin.
Nimble and charming, Lawrence’s physical performance reinforces the fact that acting is the best special effect.
Just as Puck complies with Oberon’s bidding, three fairies arrayed as
Indian maidens attend to Titania: Peaseblossom (Erica Nunnelley),
Cobweb (Taylor Hunt) and Mustardseed (Vicki Hall). Their beaded leather
garb is supple and alluring, conjuring a “just right’” magical touch.
Oberon’s headdress is a further example of the way costuming detail serves the mood and flavor of the performance.
The crux of the play’s action centers on the foolish lovers: perky
Hermia (Kate Gonzales), her love-crazed friend Helena (Gina Williams)
and their gun -slinging suitors, Lysander (Robert Zellers) and
Demetrius (Thomas Smith).
The young people dosey-doe in a four square of bickering and betrayal,
their speeches alive with whining and desperation, the acting as
impressive as it is funny and feral.
Sheila Doyle as Quince the carpenter, least the amateur acting troupe,
or so called “rude mechanicals,” including Vannucci and Gallagher and
completed by Flute (Kyle Eastman), Snout (Graham Scott Green) and Snug
(Sarah Grimes-Emmons).
The delightful chemistry of this contingency explodes during their
production of “Pyramus and Thisby” in Act V. The amphitheater convulsed
with hoots and shrieks of laughter on opening night, a merriment that
lingered long after the last bow.
Don’t miss the shenanigans contrived by Murphys Creek Theater this
summer. Pack your picnic basked and come early to “A Midsummer Night’s
Dream.”
From the lilting strains of Stan Emmons’ pre-show performance to Puck’s
closing words atop the red rock façade, a spirited energy floats across
the midsummer evening at the Cornelia B. Stevenot Amphitheater.
The production runs through July 17. For tickets, call 728-8422
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REVIEW: MCT’s ‘Folly’ proves charming and poignant
From the Union Democrat
Written by Kathie Isaac-Luke February 25, 2010 02:13 pm
It is easy to see why Lanford Wilson’s romantic comedy, “Talley’s
Folly,” garnered the 1980 Pulitzer Prize for drama. This lyrical play,
which opens Murphys Creek Theatre’s 16th season, is peppered with
history, wit, philosophy, warmth and wisdom. Set in the small town of
Lebanon, Mo., against the backdrop of World War II, “Talley’s Folly”
tells the story of Matt Friedman and Sally Talley, an unlikely pair
trying to make sense of their relationship.
He is Jewish and 11 years older than Sally. She is Protestant and from
an intolerant family. Both harbor secrets which prevent them from fully
trusting each other.
Matt, an accountant from St. Louis, has met Sally while vacationing in
Lebanon a year before the play begins. He has written to her nearly
every day and is convinced they can make a life together.
Sally, however, is reluctant and ambivalent. While she goes out of her
way to rebuff him, Matt sees the tenderness beneath her brusque facade.
This two character, one-act play requires two strong actors to bring it
to life, and Graham S. Green and Lara Ford are more than equal to the
task.
Ford, who has given memorable performances in a number of other MCT
productions, is excellent as the prickly, mercurial Sally. She adeptly
captures the complexity of her character whose mood evolves from
fearful and dismissive to understanding and compassionate.
Green, who is artistic director of MCT, so completely immerses himself
in the character of Matt, that from the moment he steps onto the stage
he makes this role his own. His timing is excellent as he portrays
Matt’s humorous side as well as his patience and determination.
As the play opens, Matt speaks directly to the audience telling them
what to expect. Among other things, we learn that it is evening on July
4th, 1944, and that the 97-minute play will be a waltz.
The “folly” in the play’s title does not suggest any decisions made by
the two characters. It refers to the crumbling Victorian boathouse
where the entire play takes place. The boathouse was built years
earlier by Sally’s eccentric uncle, Everett Talley, who created other
whimsical and useless architectural projects which were disdained by
the local townspeople.
The boathouse is nicely designed by Misty Day and detailed by Susannah
Allatt. With its weathered wood, abandoned still and decaying
latticework, it can be seen as a metaphor for the loneliness and
isolation experienced by Sally and Matt.
The audience has been promised a waltz and as the characters move
toward each other and then apart, we notice the rhythm of their dance
as they carefully reveal the past injuries which have prevented them
from connecting.
Referring to himself in the third person, Matt slowly tells Sally the
tragic story of how he lost his entire family in Europe during World
War I. It becomes clear that the grief and alienation he has
experienced has completely colored the way he sees the world.
Sally, in turn, discloses a highly personal trauma in her past which
has damaged her and caused her to raise barriers around herself. She
also reveals that she does not share the biases of her wealthy and
bigoted family.
The fact that she has been fired from her Sunday school post for
teaching her students about the labor movement further endears her to
the liberally minded Matt.
In exploring their histories these two wounded characters learn that in
spite of their cultural differences, they actually have a lot of common
ground. And the revelation that they also share similar goals ends the
play on a satisfying and hopeful note.
Directed by Diane Brown, this charming and poignant tale is an engaging
piece of theater and deserves a larger audience than was there on
opening night.
“Talley’s Folly” plays through March 21 at the Black Bart Playhouse in Murphys. For tickets, call 728-8422.
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REVIEW: Laugh like the Dickens at MCT’s ‘Christmas’
The Union Democrat, Review by Patricia Harrelson, 12/04/09
Murphys Creek Theatre Company conjures the spirit of Christmases past with its production of “Every Christmas Story Ever Told.” The zany, high energy production currently under way at Black Bart Playhouse in Murphys dares to take our “beloved holiday classics” (BHCs) and present them in a new — and completely twisted — light.
Cleverly scripted by Michael Carleton, Jim Fitzgerald and John Alvarez, the play opens with Allison Blackwell re-telling “A Christmas Carol.”
Her stodgy recital is quickly halted by Sean M. Lewis, playing the ghost of Jacob Marley clad in a chain-laden garment and ridiculous wig, who is sick of doing the Dickens’ classic year after year.
His plea for an alternative performance, one that depicts every Christmas story ever told, is met with earnest agreement by Stephen Daly, the third in this trio of actors who bring a “Xmas Xtreme” to the stage.
With Blackwell continuing to resist the plan, what follows is an energetic free-association Christmas extravaganza, a goofy parody of secular seasonal classics mixed with commercial spoofs and elementary school staging.
Vickie Hall must have a capital sense of humor to take on this agreeably corny production as her directorial debut. This kind of free-wheeling comedy demands game actors, which she found in Blackwell, Lewis and Daly.
Blackwell serves as a comely point-person, the character who wishes to maintain tradition, but who eventually gets sucked into the silly mire.
Forever frowning and fussing about getting back to “A Christmas Carol,” her character nevertheless leaps over self-imposed boundaries to don silly costumes and deliver rapid-fire dialogue while dashing and dancing with her fellow players.
Blackwell’s plastic, inventive style makes for superb physical comedy.
Daly stands as the loquacious officiate in the trio’s effort to portray this slew of holiday stories, casting the net far and wide to pay homage to Chanukah and Kwanzaa and include dubious factoids about Christmas traditions from far off lands.
In such a role, it is hard to determine if Daly’s halting delivery was in character or a flawed performance. Whatever, such nervous wit worked to good effect.
Lewis cavorts and gyrates on stage in a role that might have easily slipped into grandstanding. However, in his capable hands, which are clearly in touch with his inner child, a nimble character emerges — one who displays credulous innocence while flaunting adult humor.
Lewis capitalizes on the mix in a standout scene with Blackwell in Act 1 that parodies telling the truth about Santa. Blackwell sits on an office chair with the long-limbed Lewis in her lap, embroiled in the misery of a 4-year-old facing this well-intentioned adult lie. The visual itself is comical but the two interact in rocking tandem to hilarious effect.
Truth telling is the humorous heart of this show. Frosty meets his maker, a Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade float tangles with veracity, and Gustav, aka Rudolph, reveals his differences in prominent display. Nothing is above a poke, not fruit cake nor Santa nor the Grinch.
That’s not to say this show is without poignancy. Near the end of Act 1, Lewis as Linus clutching a large blue blanket recalls for Charlie Brown (and onlookers) the story of “the true meaning of Christmas.”
Another thing that makes the show fun is the manner in which the fourth wall of performing arts is disregarded to bring the audience into the performance. Not only do the actors frequently address theatergoers, but stage hands step from the auditorium to adjust computer projectors and deal with props.
Audience participation adds an improv element to a couple of skits, including a game-show segment in which Daly is super as a pompous game show host.
Capital Stage in Sacramento assisted by loaning many of the necessary props and contributing design ideas for costumes developed by Diane Brown. The wigs and hats were particularly gay as was the artful adornment for Gustav the “reingoat.”
Pacing is critical in a successful comedy, and though timing is a bit sticky in Act 1, the actors really hit their stride in Act 2 in a theatrical mash-up of “A Christmas Carol” and “It’s A Wonderful Life.”
All three characters sail through this fracas, morphing rapidly and hilariously from Ebenezer Scrooge to George Bailey, from the Christmas Ghosts to Clarence the Angel, Mary and Uncle Billy.
A finale of caroling, this time a mash-up medley of Christmas tunes, winds things up and underscores the quirky talent of the cast.
Vickie Hall has directed a spunky production, but for comedy to truly work, actors need to face a rollicking crowd who are knee-slapping and guffawing. That’s what was missing from this show: a large fun-loving audience laughing at the hilarious spoof.
This is not high art, but those who seek Yuletide frivolity will enjoy this family-friendly diversion. Kids may not get all of the jokes and innuendos, but they are sure to laugh when they see folks like Allie, Sean and Stephen having a rip-roaring good time.
The production runs through Dec. 20. For tickets, call 728-8422.
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REVIEW: “Skull” Sends Shivers of Delight
Calaveras Enterprise: Sierra Lodestar, Review by Mike Taylor, 8/26/2009
I’m a big fan of the black comedy; those dubious works by authors who many might consider being just a little “off”. This style of comedy leaves audiences squirming – especially during live theater performances – because it can be tough to know what’s appropriate to laugh at during rigorous conversation about subjects not fit for the nightly news.
The Murphys Creek Theatre company is presenting a show that has more unruly laughs tucked inside it than anything I’ve seen lately and it a whole lot of fun. “A Skull in Connemara” would have been a delight to see staged at the Amphitheatre outside of Murphys because of its dreariness, but this Black Bart Playhouse production is tops.
Director and Set Designer Graham Scott Green has a lackluster apartment – a shack, really – as the primary set, but it’s the graveyard scene that adds to the quirky cleverness that comes along in this Martin McDonough play. But I’m getting ahead of myself.
“Skull” concerns Mick Dowd, the gravedigger in rural Galway, Ireland. Simply digging graves might be enough for a dark comedy, as far s a profession of choice goes, but McDonough cranks it up several notches; once a year down must dig up older plots in the cemetery to make room for newer, um, fresher arrivals.
The show opens in his shack, just as MaryJohnny comes by for her daily nip and so she and Mick can chew the fat. Tom Vannucci and Sheila Doyle act like a middle-aged married couple in this scene, finishing each other’s and arguing with a polished charm. They’ve said all this many times before.
Just as this exchange begins to grow a little slow, Mairtin Hanlon bursts into Mick’s domicile with news he’s to assist Mick in his daily diggings. Mairtin’s a punk, plain and simple; one of those Irish rogues made famous in perhaps too many Hollywood films. He’s on edge, jittery and just barely keeping himself out of trouble. Robert Zellers does a fine job giving Mairtin all his quirks, easily stomping about Mick’s home like a ruffian.
Mairtin’s the one who reminds MaryJohnny and Mick that this is the year Mick will have to dig up his wife, whom he served a stint in prison for killing in a drunk driving car crash seven years ago. There’s much moodiness brought about when the event is mentioned around Mick, but Mairtin – ever the agitator – thrills at jousting with Mick on the subject.
Many aspersions are cast, among them the idea that perhaps Mick assisted his wife in her departure from this world with more than a drink and a set of car keys.
The next scene, staged in the cemetery, is brilliantly list and acted with punch and patience. Mairtin and Mick are exhuming away when Mairtin’s older brother – and local cop on the beat - Thomas Hanlon arrives, we’re told so he can watch the bones of Mick’s dearly departed be removed from the dirt. Sean M. Lewis delivers another performance rife with pressure points that punctuate the play perfectly. I can’t say anything more, except to give these actors credit for delivering their parts in measured fashion, carefully taking the audience along on an intriguing journey.
This show isn’t for children; there’s much swearing in Mairtin’s world and the subject matter is darker than I allude to here. While it’s mature in nature, it’s also interesting; the characters might not be the most likeable to step onstage, but the action tugs along at your collar, pulling you deeper into the tale.
I also found it intriguing that this is the second time this season that Lewis has played Zellers’ older brother. In “Lone Star,” Lewis’s drunken debauchery added much weight to the show and Zellers’ simplistic approach to his character made the elder brother’s anger all the more human. In “Connemara, Thomas Hanlon is the determinedly dominant older brother who’s found license – he’s a policeman, remember, which he seems to feel gives him much more power than a man of his status should be able to acquire. Again, as in “Lone Star,” Lewis and Zellers add a lot of raw emotion to the show.
That’s not to detract from Vannucci’s masterful pauses as Mick. He knows just when to lean into a line and force a reaction, metaphorically moving Mick’s soft-spoken nature to the background. This is a wonderful character given life by a fine actor who knows how it’s done.
If smashing bones after a hard night’s digging doesn’t pique your interest or raise your eyebrows, I’d say skip this tale. If you’re drawn to stories that are well off the beaten path, “A Skull in Connemara” will deliver a few tingles and a lot of laughs. It’s a deviously good time.
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REVIEW: “Skull” Sometimes Requires a Thick Skin to Appreciate
The Union Democrat, Review by Patricia Harrelson, 8/17/2009
Murphys Creek Theatre is pulling no punches in its 15th season. The latest production, “A Skull in Connemara” at the Black Bart Playhouse is an outrageous tale, full of course banter, sarcasm, and insults.
One critic described Irish playwright Martin McDonagh’s work as “an absurdist realignment of social customs.” There is no doubt that McDonagh mischievously upends polite society by taking as his subject matter ghastly perverse acts.
This play will suit everyone’s tastes, but those who enjoy crazy, dark humor are fortunate indeed that director Graham Scott Green has brought “A Skull in Connemara” to a local stage.
Green’s pleasure in presenting ”Skull” to the community is apparent in his deft management of four actors who successfully deliver black comedy.
The setting is the rural village of Leenane in County Galway, a community overgrown with past grievances. For one week each autumn, Mick Dowd (Tom Vannucci) is hired to disinter bones in the Leenane cemetery to make room for new arrivals.
As the play opens, MaryJohnny Rafferty (Sheila Doyle) is visiting Dowd, her neighbor who she has long suspected of murdering his wife but nevertheless visits each day to enjoy his liquor.
The thick Irish dialect, skillfully rendered by Vannucci and Doyle, makes the audience listen carefully as the crux of the situation is revealed in their obviously habitual sparring.
Dowd’s wife Oona died seven years earlier in a car accident in which he was the drunk driver. MaryJohnny, along with other village “ijits”, have let their imaginations run to concoct a rumor that Oona might actually have died from a deadly blow struck by Dowd.
As if there isn’t enough irony in suspecting Dowd of bludgeoning his wife as opposed to killing her while driving drunk, Dowd is also faced with having to dig up Oona’s bones when he next exhumes bodies.
This last is revealed by Mairtin Hanlon, MaryJohnny’s grandson who interrupts her visit with Dowd to announce that he has been hired by Father Walsh to assist in the gravedigger’s chores. Much of the responsibility for the inane conversation that permeates the play lies on the shoulders of Robert Zellers, who plays Mairtin, a loutish youth with a hair-trigger response to insult and the ability to hurl a heap of abuse.
Zellers rises to the task, propelling Mairtin superbly through ridiculous discussions such as what happens to a man’s private parts once he is interred and the relative merits of drowning in various bodily fluids.
Though Zellers is not consistently in control of the Irish dialect, he throws himself into the nuances of Mairtin’s character to reveal fear amid bravado and discernment underneath absurdity.
Doyle gives the bingo-playing granny a perfectly dour visage to compliment her character’s grudge-bearing, suspicious nature.
Doyle is clearly not as fat as Mairtin’s insults suggest, but she waddles and sits spread-legged like the stoutest of women. Doyle’s performance is solid and wonderfully humorous.
White haired Vannucci is well cast as Mick Dowd. His fierce gaze drives Dowd’s brutal, penetrating cynicism home. And yet Vannucci casts a flicker of poignancy now and again into Dowd’s alcohol-soaked person, a hint of something lamentable beneath a sardonic surface.
The fourth actor is Sean Lewis, who plays Thomas Hanlon, a policeman and Mairtin’s brother. Lewis nails the role of a low-key fool enamored with television detectives. Deeply disgruntled about police work in a small town, Hanlon seethes with ambition.
Green makes good use of the rough-hewn stage in creating the sparsely appointed front room of Dowd’s cottage. Behind this room, through a cleverly rigged black screen, the cemetery eventually appears, with the help of suffused lighting.
There, Mairtin and Dowd work atop piles of dirt and in grave pits deep as their thighs. Soon their macabre task turns into graveyard shenanigans. And eventually, the disinterred skulls, compliments of prop master Martha Omiyo Kight, become the mark of some truly ghoulish business.
“A Skull in Connemara” is a black comedy, but it is also about wounded hearts situated in the midst of petty recriminations and shattered bones.
Green and the Murphys Creek Theatre company have chosen another play with an idiosyncratic view of rural life. Perhaps they are daring us to look, to think, and to laugh.
Go ahead! See for yourself. The production runs through September 6th. Call 209.728.8422 for tickets.
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REVIEW: Modern 'Merchant' shines under stars
Modesto Bee, Review by Lisa Milligan, 7/6/09
Rating: three out of four stars
MURPHYS — Murphys Creek Theatre knows that Shakespeare can be hard to understand, so the company does its best to lighten things up from time to time.
The group's outdoor production of "The Merchant of Venice" is in modern dress and includes hip-hop dancing, laptops and text messaging.
Under director Graham Green's guidance, it all works and doesn't seem intrusive or gimmicky. It might help some younger audience members better enjoy the Bard's work.
Though it's classified as a comedy, "The Merchant of Venice" deals with weighty issues of religious persecution and justice vs. mercy.
The Jewish moneylender Shylock (Eric Baldwin) is constantly antagonized by his Christian neighbors. When the unfriendly Christian Antonio (Eric Owens) asks him for a loan, Shylock reluctantly agrees but only on the condition that if Antonio defaults, he gets a pound of Antonio's flesh.
Baldwin, who looks and acts like Richard Dreyfuss, is compelling as Shylock, making him sympathetic despite the character's considerable flaws. In his portrayal, we see that Shylock became so bitter because of the constant mistreatment he faced.
Shylock is ultimately outwitted by Portia, one of Shakespeare's most memorable female characters. Beautifully played by Allison Blackwell, she is feisty, smart, brave, funny and supremely confident.
Sean Lewis, who stands out in the cast for his height and spiky blond hair, provides much of the comedy in a dual role as Graziano and Aragon. In the first part, he's a coarse young man who doesn't quite know how to act in upper-class company. In the second, he's an arrogant Spanish aristocrat trying for Portia's hand in marriage.
Bruce Cole shows a talent for getting laughs as Launcelot Gobbo, Shylock's hyperactive servant.
As with most productions, there are some directorial choices that don't quite work. It's strange that Portia's Moroccan suitor is cast as a white woman (Misty Day). The lines about the Moroccan's dark complexion no longer make sense. And it's confusing for the audience because Day also plays Shylock's daughter.
Moreover, Green's set is drab and unattractive, offering little more than a few doorways.
Still, nothing in the region can beat the gorgeous venue. The production is at Stevenot Winery's lovely tree-ringed amphitheater, which allows plenty of space for picnicking. Shakespeare is rarely sweeter than when it is performed under the stars.
